The Central Luzon State University-College of Fisheries (CLSU-CF) took part in the planning and presentation of the proposal for the conduct of a study on microplastic detectors and quantifiers. This project is in collaboration with the National University (NU) wherein the CF will do the evaluation and validation. To formalize this collaborative project, a memorandum of agreement signing between CLSU-CF and NU was held on June 2, 2022.

Initially, student-researchers from NU – Electronics Engineering Department have already designed and developed an efficient prototype for real-time detection and quantification of microplastics using a deep learning model to ensure clean and sustainable water management.

The system uses a deep-learning model; You Only Look Once version 4 (YOLOv4) wherein the researchers utilized a manta trawl to obtain the residue for specific project design requirements, which is crucial as it leverages the accuracy percentage in detecting the microplastics.

To demonstrate and test the device, water samples from the earthen ponds of the Freshwater Aquaculture Center (FAC) and CF were collected.

Microplastics are tiny plastic particles with a size smaller than 5mm. It is considered a pollutant since it can be harmful to humans, the environment, and animal health.

The NU research team was led by Engr. Herbert Villaruel and joined by student-researchers namely, Melissa Galang, Sem Jalotjot, Ahmed Ali Jama, John Elbert Mendoza, Mark Angelo Regoso, and Jhoana Suelo.